The Warriors Shall Rise Again

[KittKat chunky~]

The Hestan twins followed dutifully behind Rasha, holding the double doors of the war room open for her as she walked past, and closing them quietly behind her. They walked just behind her, as they always did, swords drawn.

As they walked, a meerkat wearing a thick leather apron approached Rasha, bowing low as he did so "M'lady... I beg of you that I may borrow Kha'mal for a moment? He has business with me I must discuss... We shall only be a minute..." The Meerkat bowed even lower, until the tip of his long nose almost touched his apron. Around his waist a pair of tongs and small hammers clinked.

[Asia Kali Yusufzai]

Rasha stepped back from the meerkat, and looked to Kha'mal.
"Unless Kha'mal wishes otherwise, anything you say to him can be said in front of me, but first, tell me your name."

[KittKat chunky~]

The meerkat bobbed his head, taking several hasty steps back himself "My name is Zezshnyr, your Majesty... I run a small jewellers shop just off the market, doubling as a pawnbrokers." He bowed his head again, bobbing nervously where he stood. It was only now that the three noticed just how short he was, barely coming up to Kha'mals chest.

Kha'mal stepped forward, looking apologetically towards Rasha "I apologise your highness... But I would rather this conversation where in private." He looked from the still bobbing meerkat, and momentarily towards Kha'lin "I will only be a moment..."

[tangletail]

"Hello..." leo said to a gaurd near the castles gate scratching his ear a bit.
"Who goes-" the gaurd had started only to be interupted rudely by leo
"Can I just cut to the chace, chances are your not going to know me long enough for an introduction" Leo sighed as the man infront of him clicked his heals together to scold him.
"How dare you!" the gaurd growled "To speak to a royal guard with such rudeness!"
"Guard? You dont look like much" leo said looking to the side as larger ones passed by "Are you sure they didn't just place you here to take up space"
"Why y-"
"Thats right, I bite my thumb you good sir, laugh in your face, and kick sand in it, now may I have an audiance with the head of this castle?" He mocked with a sly grin as the guards rage overwellmed him into letting him in. "Thankyou squire!" the feline laughed as he intered the castle.

[Asia Kali Yusufzai]

"Very well," Rasha gave a sweep of her hand through the air, gesturing for Kha'mal to pass and talk in private with the wretch. As they headed away, Rasha continued to her room. Once in, she headed straight for her desk, pulling out fresh paper and a quill with ink.

Dear Tar-ryn,

I feel for you. Your circumstances must be quite distressing,
but in the time since we last talked, I have become Queen, and that brings great responsibility at my feet.
You must recognise that sheltering the enemies of Zaldaro is suicidal, and could lead my country to ruin.
However, it is also clear that Zaldaro is not one for diplomacy.
I must weigh my choices carefully.
If you can get to Khemal in secret, away from any prying eyes, then I will take you in with open arms.
But if there is even the smallest evidence that you have been followed, or watched, you will be turned away.

I do hope that you are safe, and hidden.

Good luck.

~Queen Rasha~

She blew the ink to make it dry, then folded the letter, sealed it and handed it to Kha'lin. She looked into her eyes, with a harsh, piercing stare.
"Kha'lin, you are the most reliable, and most excellent subject. When your brother returns, I want you to take this to the village of Dragar, in the state of Daevara. Find a woman called Tar-ryn." She pressed the letter into the Lynx's paws. "Give this to her, and her only, and make sure you are discreet."





Leo stepped through the entry hall, surrounded in tall walls draped in rich blue fabrics, lined with gold. A young servant ran past him to the secondary doors where two guards stood watch. The doors were open, and through them the Great Hall stretched out, flaring in the light of the sun. The servant spoke to the guards as Leo approached, and the doors closed in his face. These men were bigger, than the last, a bear and an elephant, towering over Leo. The bear placed a paw down on Leo's shoulder, gripping it tight.
"We have recieved word that you have been causing trouble, and refuse to state your name. You're not permitted to go any further until we know who you are."

[tangletail]

Leo flinched a bit hearing the large doors close in such short notice before looking at the two guards up and down seeing how massive they where with wide eyes. "Karma... made fun of the little guy now, I'm the little guy..." he thought remembering that he just recently made fun of the smaller guards now greeted and stopped by two massive guards.
"Well, no since in causeing... further trouble." Leo started placeing a paw on the bear's paw that was on his shoulder and tryed to remove it in a very casual manor "I'm just a wandering Mercenary, Leo Cyrule. Here to offer my..." raises his left paw concidering his other paw was preoccupied "paw, and services, to your lovely castle here"

[KittKat chunky~]

Kha'mal nodded in thanks, turning to the meerkat. Kha'lin watched him walk away, suspicion in her amber eyes as she followed the queen back to her room...



Zezshnyr bobbed his head hurriedly, smiling up at Kha'mal "Aha... yes, I decided to try and complete your request... A very interesting one if I may say..." He wrung his paws, still bobbing where he stood "If you could come around my shop, say... tomorrow morning? 
We shall see what I have managed to do, yes?" He bobbed his head again, smiling wickedly "Which woman would you be trying to woo this time Kha'mal? After all this is not the first time you ask for Zezshnyr, no?"
Kha'mal frowned, shaking his head "I am not trying to woo this woman... Not by any means... So long as you get it made, I am happy to pay your price..." With that he turned and left, walking towards the queens bedrooms, and leaving a still-bobbing meerkat to trot away down the corridor...






Kha'lin took the letter, sliding it into a hidden pocket among her dark red robes. She nodded, meeting Rasha's severe gaze "Your highness, I shall ensure that no-one could follow my tracks, not even my brother..." She bowed, turning as Kha'mal walked into the room "I shall take it with haste..."

[Shenzii]

Tar-ryn couldn't rest herself. Sun was still shining over the village. She got up and walked down the stairs. She quietly exited the Tavern and made her way for the Forest. She had her brother's sword at her waist, a red cloak hiding it. She put the hood up and continued walking. The sun had begun to set, the sky showing a rainbow spectrum of reds, pinks, and oranges. Her breathe was visible in the Fall evening. Red and orange leaves seemed to illuminate in the setting rays. Tar-ryn's paws padded against the dry, cool ground.

[Asia Kali Yusufzai]

The bear nodded to the servant, who then ran back through the palace.
"We'll check that name through our records and if you're clear, then you may enter civilian areas." He kept his paw tight on Leo. "But if you want to offer your services, there's a sign up desk down that way," he said, gesturing back down near the entrance, where preened fox sat on a table next to some papers.




Rasha smiled as Kha'lin left, and then watched Kha'mal return.
"So is everything cleared up with that meerkat fellow?" she said, lilting her voice with innocence.

[tangletail]

Leo rotated his head a bit to look at the table before looking back with a smile now just lowering his shoulder and slideing the paw off "Will do," he said turning back around walking to the desk, as his hands moved from side to side he took the oppertunity to unbuckle the strap that kept his blade securely in it's sheet on the side so he can pull it out if need be, then adjusting jacket a bit to make sure that it remained unoticed. Picking up a plume he read over the sheat carefully so he was sure he was offering services rather than enlisting into there ranks."What are these sign up papers for?" he asked the fox.

[Asia Kali Yusufzai]

"Army," said the fox. His voice was weedy. Reaching to Leo, he plucked the paper from him, flipping from one side to the other and back. "Short term on this side, which is your merc and have-a-go hero sort, which, you know, ain't much good 'til we're close to or actually at war." He turned the paper around. "Long term on this side. This is your full on years of training proper stuff. That's where you can get some good money if you stick it out, and if you're lucky, you get an admin job." He glanced at the sheathed blade, then smiled at the serval. "So what you lookin' for then. What takes your fancy?"

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Chronin looked through the window of Rorin's room, and looked behind him before opening the window and trying to jump out. He hit the ground rather hard, but didn't fall over or suffer any bone-breakage. He followed Tar-ryn again, feeling like a stalker as he couldn't stop thinking about how great it was to just be around her again. But, he wanted it to be like old times, where he could hug her and she didn't want to break away.

[tangletail]

VLeo flicked his ear some takeing the paper back as the fox finished flipping it over to the short term side "Just a Merc and a poor swordsman at that" He added the last part with a serious tone but with a smirk showing that he was more than likely lieing. "I have no plans on forgeing a long term loyalty for anyone" he said filling in the paper marking his price in the field that asked for it witch was concideribly lower than the others on the list "Besides, soldiers are thugs that just amass on each other. Guess a merc is one two but, at least we get the job done without complaints for our safety."

[Asia Kali Yusufzai]

"Well ain't you got a mouth on you," the fox said, as he took the paper and filed it away. The bear guard from before came up behind himand grabbed that same shoulder.
"We checked you out and you're clear. You can go in the civ areas."
"Actually," the fox interjected. "He'll be needing to get to the training camp, now." He turned to Leo. "Just go there, show off and then they put you where they want you. If they don't want you then you go home." There was a little smirk on his face.

[KittKat chunky~]

Kha'lin nodded briefly to her brother as she walked past, eyes meeting momentarily. Although to anybody else it had been just a nod, Kha'mal noticed the small things, the way she had tilted her head slightly to the side, the ever-so-small cocking of her ear to the left, and the way she looked at him. All this spoke as much to him as a full conversation... She was leaving, and didnt know when she would return... He nodded back, a gesture equally laced with hidden meaning, as she left the room...


Kha'mal nodded to Rasha, ear cocked to listen as Kha'lin walked away down the corridor outside. When he deemed it safe to talk, he cleared his throat "I apologise your highness... For it was not you I did not want overhearing, but my sister..." He sighed, long lynx ear no longer cocked towards the door "As you may know she comes of age next week, and I would rather what I am doing stayed a surprise." Kha'mal smirked, a grin just visible behind his mask "Though I feel she may have figured it out already.... It would not surprise me..."


--------

Kha'lin stood her small room, twin her brother's one door along the hall. They both owned rooms in the palace itself, as had all the Hesten guards for centuries... She sighed, undressing quickly, and slipping one a dull red tunic. Over the light cloth she laced on hunting leathers, and over this a simple sarong of un-dyed cloth. After this she laid her ritual sword of beaten gold into a locked chest under her bed, instead slipping a twin pair of silver daggers into small thigh-scabbards.

Sighing, Kha'lin looked at herself in the small mirror she owned. A rather young lynx looked back at her, long striped ears tufted at the end, and beautiful amber eyes frowning sceptically... Her appearance was not the most inconspicuous, but it would do...  She walked out of her room, canvas sack strung over one shoulder....